What to Wear? Clothing Tips for My Lady Travelers and Expats

     

      So many of our women travelers and expats contact us at Gweet and express their concerns about the appropriate female attire for Jordan. They need guidance. They want to know, "what can I wear in Jordan without being culturally disrespectful?"  They ask us, “I understand shorts can be problematic in some places, but what about sleeveless shirts?"  Ladies, this post was written just for you. You’ll find the useful information necessary to dress appropriately in Jordan. Don’t worry; you won’t have to compromise your own personal style. You have plenty of options.

Below are some pictures depicting some pretty common outfits you will see local women wear in Amman. You'll see these types of outfits in other parts of Jordan as well but they are not as common in the more conservative provinces.   

Keep in mind that wearing tight clothes isn't as taboo as wearing clothes that show a lot of skin. So make sure to hide away your cleavage. It’s extremely rare to see women showing their chests here. There are many local women who wear fitted clothes but very few will wear shorts or short skirts without tights or leggings and tank tops without a sweater or cardigan.

This time around, I've posted several pictures of outfits that would attract negative attention in the streets of Amman (and especially in the more conservative cities and towns). For example, it isn’t uncommon for men to catcall, stare, and taunt women who choose to wear skin-bearing outfits such as the ones depicted below. However, also keep in mind these outfits would be appropriate in Aqaba as this area is a tourist hotspot, full of people who swim, snorkel, and sail on the Red Sea.

                     

Additional Tip: If you plan on visiting mosques, make sure to keep a scarf with you. It is often required for women to wear some type of head covering in order to enter a mosque.

Have fun with trying out some new ways to wear a scarf and experiment. There are so many styles that you can create and recreate with a simple scarf.

Take a look at the diagram below and figure which styles suit you best.

                                                                 

                                                                    https://rinadon.wordpress.com/tag/scarves-wholesale/

Oh, and don’t forget all the different styles that you can create with a headscarf. The first time I traveled to Jordan, I created some new head wrap styles with a simple scarf I’d purchased in Downtown, Amman. Wearing a head wrap is a great way to protect your hair from the intense sun and UV rays here. Check out the really cool styles below.

                                                     

                                                        http://www.wearableartbyalexandra.com/2013/09/07/head-scarf-fashionable-way/

               

Moreover, have fun with what you wear in Jordan. Dressing appropriately for the culture is pretty simple and straightforward. Be creative and try out some new styles.